Tawny Singer was a name that sparked vivid memories for both Dean and Sam. Dean remembered a day years ago, when he was 17. It was the day after she'd turned 13 and Bobby brought her along on her first hunt. In the middle of the New Mexico desert, while on a hunt for a chupacabra, he'd teased her for being too young to go on a hunt.
She hit him, her right fist connecting with the left side of his jaw hard enough to leave a bruise that would smart for a week. Their fathers stood there laughing, Sam grinned, Tawny fumed, and Dean stared at her in shock.
Sam, on the other hand, had fonder memories of Tawny, who was only six months his junior. They would sit together, occasionally in the back seat of the Impala or the Trans Am Bobby had, but more often in bed in a motel room, talking about what their future held. Sam's best memory of Tawny, however, was centered on another one of her birthdays.
They were in New Hampshire, their fathers and Dean trying to get rid of a haunting. They'd left the two hunters-in-training behind at the crappy motel, where they'd ordered a pizza and snuck some beer from the fridge.
They'd fallen silent for a moment when Tawny looked up to see Sam watching her closely. "What?" she asked, raising a hand to her cheek to wipe away a blemish that wasn't there. Sam shook his head, looking back at his lap.
"Can I ask you something?" he asked quietly. Tawny nodded, laying her head on his shoulder. Sam sighed, letting his hand drift over to brush against her leg. "Are you a virgin?" he whispered, leaning his head against hers. Tawny nodded again, a soft blush creeping across her cheeks. "Me, too," he whispered, and then they fell back into silence.
"Sam, I want it to be you," she said. Tawny lifted her head, meeting Sam's green eyes. They were the same shade as Dean's. They sat like that for what seemed like minutes before Sam finally leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to hers. The rest of the memory was filled with blood, tangled sheets, and soft flesh.
Tawny was in the kitchen peeling potatoes when she heard the knock on the door. She grabbed a towel, wiping her hands as she crossed the room.
"I got it, Daddy!" she called, hearing the grunt from the other room. She rolled her eyes, knowing he'd probably fallen asleep again. The second knock started to grind on her, so she grabbed a small bottle of Holy water her father kept by the door and slowly opened it.
The Winchester brothers stared at her. Dean's eyes, as green as ever, were wide as he looked her up and down. Tawny would later swear she heard a low whine come from Sam's throat. His brother was the first to speak.
"Wow, Tawny. You've really grown into yourself," he said matter-of-factly, staring pointedly at her chest. She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, well, you still haven't grown into your big head," she quipped, turning to Sam. "You, on the other hand, are a freaking giant."
Sam grinned, breaking from his stupor as she walked forward to give him a hug. They embraced, Sam planting a light kiss on the crown of her head, before she turned back to open the door for them. She left them in the hall, almost running to the living room.
"Dad, its Sam and Dean," she said, grabbing the remote and turning off the TV. Bobby sat up quickly, nearly flinging himself out of his old La-Z-Boy recliner. "Why are they here?" he asked, straightening his hat as he looked at his daughter. She shrugged.
"Dunno. It must be important, though... Considering you tried to blow John's head off the last time he was here," she said quickly turning to leave the room. She heard her father grunt his disapproval as she walked quickly to the kitchen. She rolled her eyes at Dean, who, naturally, winked at her when she walked into the room. She wanted to kick Sam for telling him she'd had a crush on him as a kid.
"You boys want a couple beers?" she asked, turning to open the fridge. Neither answered so she grabbed them anyways, not noticing her father standing in the doorway. She watched him with wide, apprehensive eyes. He took a moment to speak.
"What the hell happened to your hair, boy? Do they not have scissors in California?" he demanded, looking at Sam. The tension left the room with a sigh and Sam chuckled. "Apparently not," Dean quipped, raising an eyebrow to Tawny. "What about that beer, wench?" he asked, leaning forward on his elbows. Tawny once again rolled her eyes, but walked over and set down a brew in front of each Winchester. She sat, crossing a leg under the other and put her forearms on the table, scratching at a piece of chipped paint.
"So, what are you doing here?" she asked, barely noticing Bobby walking to the fridge to get his own beer. Sam and Dean looked at each other, the latter sighing loudly before answering. "Dad was kidnapped," he said simply. Tawny only raised her eyebrow. "By…?" she asked, waving a hand as she drew out the word.
Dean sighed again, leaning back and taking a swig of his beer. "Demons," Sam filled in, glancing at each face in the room before chugging his own beer. Tawny groaned and Bobby sighed, both looking at each other. "Seriously?" Tawny whined, pushing her chair back and getting up. Bobby walked out of the room, Tawny close behind him. She was out in the hall when she realized Sam and Dean were still sitting at the table. She leaned back around the doorframe and looked at them with raised eyebrows.
"You comin'?" she asked, glancing back to the den, where her father was shuffling through books and papers. The boys looked at each other, then back at her. "To do what?" they asked at the same time, and Tawny grinned.
"To wrangle us up a demon bitch, that's what."
Tawny was on the porch looking Rumsfeld over when Dean found her. "He okay?" the green-eyed hunter asked, walking over next to where she was kneeling. Her brown eyes turned up to glance at him before she answered.
"He's got a broken leg and a few scratches. Nothing Dr. Meger over at the Animal Hospital can't fix," she said, patting the Rottweiler on the head before standing. She looked over at the Coroner's van, where they were loading Meg's body. Dean watched her closely as her brown hair was picked up by a gust of wind. She wiped her hands on her jeans, closing her eyes and tilting her head back. She took a deep breath and Dean sighed.
"Long day," he said stupidly, and Tawny looked at him. "Yeah, and yours isn't over," she replied quietly. They stared at each other, both deep in thought, not moving, barely even breathing. They were closing in when the door slammed open and Bobby walked out. Rumsfeld barked happily, wagging the stump of his tail as Bobby walked over to him.
"How's my Rummy?" he asked, kneeling to rub the dog's head. Dean and Tawny grinned as the dog's tongue lolled out of his mouth, a look of pure pleasure on his canine face. "You takin' him up to see Joe?" Bobby asked, looking up at his daughter. She nodded. "Yeah, I'll take him," she said. Bobby stood, turning to Dean.
"Get outta here and save your dad's ass, will ya?" he said, holding a hand out to shake Dean's. The two embraced, Dean's eyes flicking from the dog to Tawny's face. Bobby pulled back, following Dean's gaze to look at Tawny. "And Dean?" he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Dean looked at him, raising his eyebrows.
"Stay the hell away from my little girl," he growled, stomping back into the house. Tawny giggled at the look on Dean's face. "Your dad's scary," he said, wiping his forehead. Tawny only grinned, patting him on the shoulder. "Trust me, he can be," she said. Dean smiled at her. She hugged him then, her lip trembling.
"Be careful, okay?" she whispered in his ear. She felt him nod against her cheek, and he turned his face to bury it in her neck. "I promise nothing will happen to me. Or Sam," he replied quietly, pulling away to kiss her cheek. "Thanks for letting us through the door," he said. She nodded and the door opened a second time, Sam spilling out of it this time. He walked over to Tawny and hugged her, thanking her. She only nodded to him, kissing his cheek. She watched them walk off of the porch and over to the Impala and she walked over to a beam, leaning against it. She smiled at Dean when he turned and waved before getting into the driver's seat and speeding off. Rumsfeld's whining brought her back to reality and she turned, patting him on the head before going into the house to get the keys to her truck.